General News
8 January, 2024
Council notes review of communications strategy
The Central Goldfields Shire Council has noted a review of its communications and engagement strategy, which aims to “benchmark excellent communications and engagement” with the community. Councillors moved and voted in favour of the review at...
The Central Goldfields Shire Council has noted a review of its communications and engagement strategy, which aims to “benchmark excellent communications and engagement” with the community.
Councillors moved and voted in favour of the review at last month’s ordinary council meeting, after the strategy was first adopted by council in March 2021.
According to the report tabled to council, the strategy is designed to ensure compliance with council’s legislative requirements and provide the community with clear, transparent, targeted and accessible communications and engagement opportunities.
Since its adoption, the report further states a number of improvements have been made, including:
• Delivery of deliberative engagement for the community vision and council plan
• Greater representation of the diverse community in council decision making
• A human face has been put to the organisation through including photos of council staff in publications and being more visible in the community through face-to-face meetings and workshops
• A new online engagement platform, the Engage Website, has been launched
The report states that from April 2021 to September 2023 council delivered over 37 community engagement projects with a strong focus on approaches to engagement that facilitate levels of community influence.
In moving the motion to note the strategy’s review, councillor Grace La Vella said it’s clear the strategy continues to lead to better outcomes for both council and the community.
“We have focused on a range of methods enabling us to work closely with community on complex issues such as committees and advisory groups,” she said.
“The review demonstrates significant progress and process improvements and the community engagement team, as well as other areas of the organisation, are well positioned to deliver a further 17 improvements listed for the 2024/25 plan.”
The report further states there are 17 additional process improvements to be completed, or are ongoing, across the 2024/25 financial year — with the next review of the strategy due at the end of 2025.
Seconding the motion, councillor Chris Meddows-Taylor said the strategy highlighted council’s transparency.
“I think the community engagement team do an absolutely fabulous job,” he said.
“It really disappoints me sometimes when I see people in the community, and there are very few of them, say we are not transparent.
“We are very transparent — you look at the range of opportunities people have to provide comment, the things we share, the policies we send out in draft form to get back.
“We do everything possible and in every way possible to get comments and seek views from the community and we act on those views, we really do — we take them on board and champion them.
“This is great work that should and will continue.”